James Gurney

This daily weblog by Dinotopia creator James Gurney is for illustrators, plein-air painters, sketchers, comic artists, animators, art students, and writers. You'll find practical studio tips, insights into the making of the Dinotopia books, and first-hand reports from art schools and museums.

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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

I drew this two-inch-high sketchbook study of a fellow listener in an Irish music session.

What really interested me was the unusual lighting: a sharp edge light on the left and a softer light from the right. The edges under the chin and the front of the shirt are completely lost. I used the wide edge of the 3B graphite pencil for most of the drawing.

12 comments:

Really interesting lighting... nice sketch in so many ways! I thought of you while painting in Chadds Ford a few weeks ago... I needed your orange cones! I was precariously perched on a tiny strip between a pasture fence and the curve of a winding country road. Hope all is well.

Jean, I find it's helpful to carry a range of two or three pencils, say HB, 2B, and 4B. That way you can get fine, light details or rich blacks. When you draw with the side of the pencil, it takes more pressure, and therefore a softer pencil, to get the same darkness of stroke as you would from a sharpened tip.

Diana, the light came from two windows beyond the sitter. The room only had a single light bulb, which didn't shine much light on the subject. I don't think the subject noticed, or would have minded if he did, because I and a few other artists were regular sketchers at this session, and everyone was used to people with sketchbooks—especially teenage artists.